The monitoring of regulated redundant power supplies is enhanced by returning to each power supply a feedback (sensed) voltage signal that is indicative of the voltage level that the respective power supply is outputting and the voltage level supplied to a system load. In one embodiment, a feedback signal that is supplied to a power supply as the sensed signal is derived using a voltage divider network across the output of the power supply and a common connection at which the outputs of the power supplies are Ored for delivery to the system load. In this way, each power supply regulates its output voltage as a function of the level of the feedback signal and the level of a respective preset signal.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. Apparatus comprising a plurality of power supplies each generating an output voltage signal that is supplied to a system load common to the power supplies; a plurality of isolating devices having one terminal connected to the output of a respective one of the power supplies and having another terminal connected to a connection point extending to the system load to isolate the outputs of the power supplies from one another; and a plurality of signal sensing paths connected at one end to a first input of a respective one of the power supplies and connected at the other end to the connection point to provide a feedback signal derived as a function of a voltage signal supplied to the system load and a voltage signal outputted by the respective one of the power supplies, and wherein each of the power supplies includes signal regulation apparatus that changes the level of the voltage signal that the power supply outputs as a function of the level of the feedback signal that the power supply receives via its respective signal sensing path and level of a preset signal connected to a respective second input.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the isolating devices are diodes.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the diodes are Shottky diodes.
4. Apparatus comprising a plurality of power supplies each generating an output voltage signal that is supplied to a system load common to the power supplies; a plurality of isolating devices having one terminal connected to the output of a respective one of the power supplies and having another terminal connected to a connection point extending to the system load to isolate the outputs of the power supplies from one another; and a plurality of signal sensing paths connected at one end to a first input of a respective one of the power supplies and connected at the other end to the connection point to provide a feedback signal derived as a function of a signal developed across a respective one of the isolating devices and wherein each of the power supplies includes signal regulation apparatus that changes the level of the voltage signal that the power supply outputs as function of the level of the feedback signal that the power supply receives via its respective signal sensing path and level of a preset signal connected to a respective second input, said apparatus further comprising a plurality of voltage divider networks connected across respective ones of the isolating devices such that a respective feedback signal is supplied from a center tap of a respective one of the divider networks.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein each voltage divider network is formed from two resistors of respective resistive values.
6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the two resistors have the same value.
7. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising monitoring apparatus that monitors the output of each of the power supplies.
8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the plurality of power supplies is formed from two power supplies.
9. A power supply system comprising first and second regulated power supplies each outputting a regulated voltage level to a system load via respective isolating devices commonly connected to the system load; first and second voltage divider networks connected across respective ones of the isolating devices such that each of the first and second divider networks supplies a feedback signal to an input of a respective one of the first and second regulated power supplies, and wherein the feedback signal is formed as a function of the level of the regulated voltage level outputted by the respective one of the first and second power supplies and a voltage level appearing at the common connection; and first and second regulation apparatus that changes, as a function of the level of the feedback signal and level of a respective preset voltage, the level of the regulated voltage outputted by said respective one of the first and second power supplies.
10. The system of claim 9 wherein the isolating devices are diodes.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein the diodes are Shottky diodes.
12. A power supply system comprising first and second regulated power supplies each outputting a regulated voltage level to a system load via respective isolating devices commonly connected to the system load; first and second voltage divider networks connected across respective ones of the isolating devices such that each of the first and second divider networks supplies a feedback signal to an input of a respective one of the first and second regulated power supplies and wherein the feedback signal is formed as a function of the level of the regulated voltage level outputted by the respective one of the first and second power supplies and a voltage level appearing at the common connection; and first and second regulation apparatus that changes, as a function of the level of the feedback signal and level of a respective preset voltage, the level of the regulated voltage outputted by said respective one of the first and second power supplies, wherein the respective feedback signal is supplied from a center tap of a respective one of the divider networks.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein each voltage divider network is formed from two resistors of respective resistive values.
14. The system of claim 13 wherein the two resistors have the same value.
15. The system of claim 12 further comprising monitoring apparatus that monitors the output of each of the first and second power supplies.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
February 17, 1999
June 26, 2001
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